The Mackay Ports Limited’s Corporate Governance systems direct the way the MPL is managed.

These systems set and measure our corporate objectives, assess our risk, assign accountability and respect and recognise the legitimate interests of all stakeholders.

The Directors

The Directors of Mackay Ports Limited have been appointed by the Governor in Council and are directly accountable to our shareholding Ministers - the Honourable Anna Bligh MP, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and the Honourable Paul Lucas MP, Minister for Transport and Main Roads.

View a profile of our Directors in ( PDF 136KB)

Mackay Ports Limited is a statutory Government Owned Corporation (GOC), established on July 1 1995 under the Government Owned Corporations Act 1993.

The Board of Directors of the Mackay Ports Limited assumes overall responsibility for setting the strategic direction for the development, management and operation of the Mackay Seaport, Mackay Airport and the associated strategic and substantial land holdings. It monitors the Authority’s management team and staff directly and through established Board committees.

View the Directors’ Code of Conduct (Reviewed and adopted on 29th February 2008)

or

Download the Directors Code of Conduct in ( PDF 55KB) (Reviewed and adopted on 29th February 2008)

Directors’ Independence

A formal policy with respect to the assessment of Directors’ independence has been completed in accordance with ASX corporate governance guidelines.

View the Directors’ Independence Documentation
(Reviewed and adopted on 29th February 2008)

View the Directors’ Independence Documentation in PDF (36 KB) (Reviewed and adopted on 29th February 2008)

Directors’ Access To Independent Professional Advice

The MPL has formulated a formal procedure that enables Directors to gain independent advice at the MPL’s expense.

View the Directors’ Access To Independent Professional Advice Documentation
(Reviewed and adopted on 29th February 2008)

View the Directors’ Access To Independent Professional Advice ( PDF 37 KB)
(Reviewed and Adopted on 29th February 2008)

Mackay Ports Limited Board Charter

This charter was approved by the Board of Mackay Ports Limited on 21st June 2006.

To assist Directors, the Board also utilises the January 2000 edition of the Department of Premier & Cabinet handbook entitled Welcome Aboard: A Guide for Members of Queensland Government Boards, Committees and Statutory Authorities together with a range of other documents (all compiled onto a CD) which expand on some of the issues covered by this charter and cover further issues including Board operations and processes.

View the Mackay Ports Limited Board Charter (PDF 790 KB)

Training

The MPL is committed to provide training for its Directors. Along with the CEO, a number of MPL Directors have commenced or continued with the AICD Directors’ Essentials training program.

MPL Directors are very conscious of their responsibilities in respect of their Board responsibilities and are very aware of the need to constantly update their skills and knowledge in this area

Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee

MPL’s Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee (previously Internal Audit Committee) – includes Board members Don Graham (Chairman), Graham Davies and Robynne Dudley.

The committee holds six meetings each year.

View the Audit, risk and compliance committee charter (PDF 56 KB)

The ARC Committee acts as an advisory service to the Board to assist in the effective discharge of the responsibilities prescribed in the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977, the Financial Management Standard 1997, and other relevant legislation and prescribed requirements.

Governance, People & Safety Committee

Governance, People & Safety Committee (Previously Human Resources Committee) - includes Board members Mark Williamson (Chairman) Laurie Horgan and Graham Davies.

View the Governance, People & Safety Committee Charter (PDF 56 KB)

Port Advisory Committee

The MPL’s Port Advisory Committee – includes Board member Laurie Horgan. The Port Advisory Committee comprises commercial port users and shipping agents.  The committee’s main role is to provide the MPL with feedback on proposed developments, initiatives, operational issues and pricing policies.

The MPL’s Community Reference Group (CRG) is a broad based community group formed in January 2003 to aid the MPL in consultation with its neighbours and wider regional community of interest and enable consideration of key issues. It provides effective two-way communication between the MPL and the broader community.

Specifically, the CRG forum seeks to:

• Provide advice to the MPL Board on community priorities for the direction of the implementation of the Mackay Port Development Plan (MPDP) and/or the Mackay Airport Master Plan (MAMP)
• Provide two way communications between the MPL, and the community, using existing mechanisms where possible
• Within the project planning processes, provide feedback on community requirements, comments on individual proposals, and the overall strategies and identify gaps
• Assist with marketing and promoting the MPL strategies within the community and interested bodies

The CRG comprises 15 members (including community interest groups, environmental groups, rural interests, Indigenous interests, local government and industry)

Plans & Policies

The MPL has embarked on a strategy to develop an over-arching Risk Management Plan, referencing the many and varied existing plans already in place.

The Chief Executive Officer has been appointed as overall MPL Risk Manager to lead this project to fruition.

As with all organisations, and particularly with critical infrastructure providers like MPL, the issue of business continuity is under constant review and MPL is continuing to develop and implement appropriate strategies to ensure relevant measures are in place for business capability to be quickly re-established in the event of a disaster.

MPL also has developed numerous policies and plans covering a broad range of ethical issues.

These include:

• Download the Code of Conduct for MPL employees (PDF 71 KB)
  
  
• Download the Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy (PDF 25 KB)
  
  
• Download the Fraud and Corruption Prevention Plan (PDF 39 KB)

The Board, officers and employees of MPL, recognise obligations arising from five commonly held ethical principles and are committed to meeting those obligations.

These principles include:

• Respect for the law and system of government
• Respect for people
• Integrity
• Diligence
• Economy and efficiency

MPL considers that harassment is an unacceptable form of behaviour that will not be tolerated under any circumstances. All employees should be able to work in an environment free from intimidation and harassment as such action may cause the loss of trained and talented employees and damage staff morale and productivity.

Planning & Reports

Shareholding Ministers are asked to approve a five year plan and an annual Statement of Corporate Intent (SCI) each year.

The SCI forms the basis of the performance contract between the Board and the shareholding Ministers.  Status reports are also submitted on a quarterly basis. Shareholding Ministers are advised of major issues that may arise and of the MPL’s performance through verbal and written briefings.

Directors’ remuneration is determined by shareholding Ministers on an annual basis. MPL’s senior executive remuneration policy provides for remuneration tiered to the general market median rates, as assessed by external remuneration specialists.